Doom

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination presents a well-matched pairing for evaluating Doom, a 2016 FPS. The database shows this combo achieves playable frame rates at 1080p across all tested presets, with performance dipping below the 60 FPS threshold at 1440p and 4K for most settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares the components to similar hardware, and provides clear guidance on optimal settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset delivers an average of 64.4 FPS at 1080p, making it the most demanding setting that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. High, Medium, and Low settings also exceed 60 FPS at this resolution, with averages of 75.8, 87.9, and 104 FPS respectively.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Only with the Low preset, which averages 63.3 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 57.7 FPS, while High and Ultra average 50.6 and 42.8 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, all four presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The best result is Low at 36.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 28.6 FPS, High at 28.5 FPS, and Ultra at 23 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, a 0.2% difference, while the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a 0.4% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Radeon RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 12928. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986, a 0.4% difference, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940, a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, 0.5% lower.

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo among tested systems for Doom?

A: The combination ranks 3376 out of 3712 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database for this game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have close rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores, which indicates that systems built around these alternatives would likely produce similar results in Doom.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305. The performance deltas are minimal: the i7-1068NG7 is 0.2% faster, the i7-10710U is 0.3% slower, the Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% slower, and the i3-10305 is 0.4% faster. In practical terms, swapping the i5-9400 for any of these processors would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Doom, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the resolutions and settings tested.

For the AMD Radeon RX 580, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, AMD Radeon 740M, and AMD FirePro W5100. The GTX 1660 SUPER is 0.4% faster, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is 0.1% faster. The Radeon 740M is 0.5% slower and the FirePro W5100 is 0.6% slower. These deltas are small enough that a system with a GTX 1660 SUPER instead of the RX 580 would deliver essentially the same Doom experience at each resolution and preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal how the balance shifts between the two components. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The Ultra preset averages 64.4 FPS, and dropping to Low raises the average to 104 FPS. This 38% performance headroom from lowering settings indicates the GPU is handling most of the workload at lower resolutions.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling tells a different story. The Low preset averages 63.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 42.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is smaller than at 1080p, suggesting the CPU begins to play a more significant role as resolution increases, though the GPU still dominates the frame rate ceiling.

At 3840x2160, the results show a GPU-bound scenario almost exclusively. The Low preset averages 36.1 FPS, Medium averages 28.6 FPS, and High averages 28.5 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 23 FPS. The steep decline between Low and Medium at 4K indicates the GPU cannot sustain even modest quality improvements without significant frame rate penalties.

The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to let the GPU express its full potential across all presets. At 1440p, the CPU still provides adequate support for the Low preset to clear 60 FPS, but the GPU becomes increasingly strained at Medium and above. At 4K, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at every preset.

The Verdict

This PC can run Doom, but the answer depends heavily on resolution and quality expectations. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold on all four presets: High at 75.8 FPS, Low at 104 FPS, Medium at 87.9 FPS, and Ultra at 64.4 FPS. This makes 1080p gaming at Ultra quality as the only fully playable scenario across the board.

At 2560x1440, the system partially clears the threshold. Only the Low preset averages 63.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium falls to 57.7 FPS, making it unplayable by the database criteria.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot run the game at playable frame rates with any preset. No settings are listed as playable, with the Low preset maxing out at 36.1 FPS.

In summary, 1080p is the only resolution where the system meets the 60 FPS threshold at Ultra quality without compromise.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging 64.4 FPS at that setting. High averages 75.8 FPS, Medium averages 87.9 FPS, and Low averages 104 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset at or above 60 FPS is Low, averaging 63.3 FPS. No other preset clears the threshold at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, there is no preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. None of the tested settings reach the playable threshold.

The recommended configuration is therefore 1080p with Ultra settings, where the system delivers 64.4 FPS average performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 3376 out of 3712 tested combinations for Doom. This places the system in the lower portion of the database, reflecting the age and performance class of the components relative to more modern hardware. The combo sits below the median in the distribution of tested systems for this game.

At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 64.4 FPS average performance, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold with a 7% margin above the required frame rate. At 1440p Low, the system averages 63.3 FPS at the best playable settings, but the rank remains low overall due to the inability to sustain playable frame rates at 4K.

This rank indicates that while the system can handle Doom at lower resolutions, it is far from the top-tier configurations in the database for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements list average FPS for each resolution and setting:

3840x2160:

• High: 28.5 FPS average FPS
• Low: 36.1 FPS average FPS
• Medium: 28.6 FPS average FPS
• Ultra: 23 FPS average FPS

2560x1440:

• High: 50.6 FPS average FPS
• Low: 63.3 FPS average FPS
• Medium: 57.7 FPS average FPS
• Ultra: 42.8 FPS average FPS

1920x1080:

• High: 75.8 FPS average FPS
• Low: 104 FPS average FPS
• Medium: 87.9 FPS average FPS
• Ultra: 64.4 FPS average FPS

No minimum or maximum FPS values were recorded in the database for any of these measurements. The average FPS numbers alone show a consistent pattern across resolutions, with the highest average FPS observed at 1080p and the lowest average FPS at 4K.